Cortona, Capital of Antiques: A Journey Through Cortonantiquaria

Since 1963, Cortonantiquaria has brought together art, collecting and history in one of Tuscany's most beautiful towns.

Every year, between late August and early September, Cortona opens its doors to collectors and art lovers from all over Italy: it's Cortonantiquaria (the National Antiques Fair of Cortona), the oldest antiques fair in the country, hosted in the historic halls of the Centro Convegni Sant'Agostino, in the heart of the old town.

The Event

Period: about two weeks, usually from the last weekend of August to mid-September

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Location: Centro Convegni Sant'Agostino, Via Guelfa 40, Cortona (AR)

Admission: paid, with tickets available on site and online

Organized by: the Municipality of Cortona and Cortona Sviluppo

The History of the Fair: Born in 1963

It all began in 1962, when Cortona's Tourist Board included an antiques exhibition in its program for the following year. The idea came from two forward-thinking antique dealers, Giulio Stanganini from Cortona and Ivan Bruschi from Arezzo, and it found fertile ground in a town that already had many antique shops and master carpenters skilled in restoration.

The first "Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Mobile Antico e dell'Artigianato Antico" (National Fair of Antique Furniture and Antique Crafts) opened on August 11th, 1963, in the municipal rooms above the Teatro Signorelli, with a budget of 150,000 lire and fourteen participants: antique dealers, restorers and craftsmen. Each exhibitor's space was marked out on the floor in chalk. The very next year, thanks to the generosity of Bishop Giuseppe Franciolini, the fair moved to the eighteenth-century halls of Palazzo Vagnotti, which would remain its home for decades.

In 2001 the event took the name Cortonantiquaria and established an award dedicated to figures connected with the town. Today it is held at the Centro Convegni Sant'Agostino, a fully restored former convent, and has passed its sixtieth edition: a record of longevity that no other event of its kind in Italy can match.

A Drawing Room of Antique Art

At the heart of the event are the exhibitors' stands: around twenty carefully selected antique dealers from all over Italy. Throughout the rooms of the old convent, visitors find period furniture, paintings, wood and marble sculptures, porcelain, silverware, crystal, tapestries, rugs, prints, frames and jewelry: pieces that tell centuries of history, of families and of long-vanished homes. But Cortonantiquaria is not just an exhibition: it is a true market, where every object can be admired, studied and, for those who wish, purchased.

What to Expect on Your Visit

The visit winds through the halls and the cloister of the Centro Convegni, at the unhurried pace that art deserves. Since its very first edition, however, the fair has chosen to reach beyond its own walls: around the exhibition, a program of side events involves the whole town, with concerts, talks, theater performances and presentations in the churches and squares of the old town. The fair often engages with the major exhibitions at the MAEC (the Museum of the Etruscan Academy and of the City of Cortona) and culminates each year in the Premio Cortonantiquaria (Cortonantiquaria Award) evening in Piazza Signorelli.

Why Cortonantiquaria Matters to Cortona

Cortonantiquaria has found in Cortona one of its most authentic callings: antique objects displayed among ancient stones, in a town that has made art and craftsmanship part of its identity. Over the decades the fair has attracted illustrious visitors, from Luchino Visconti, who attended the very first edition in 1963, to François Mitterrand, Giorgio Napolitano, John Huston and George Lucas. Today it is still the event that closes Cortona's summer, drawing collectors and curious visitors from across Italy and abroad.

Where to Stay for Cortonantiquaria

Villa Santa Margherita is just a few minutes' walk from the Centro Convegni Sant'Agostino, the ideal base for exploring the fair at your own pace, coming back for an evening event in the piazza and enjoying Cortona in the soft light of late summer. Discover our rooms and the offers available for the event period.